building our future - rmit
TRANSCRIPT
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT
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Vice-Chancellor’s message
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Each one of you is making a difference to the future of RMIT through all the ways that you give back to the University.
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Thank you, for giving the gift of educationI believe education is the most transformative gift that you can give. And this is something that each one of you—our valuable donors—have contributed to RMIT and our students.
This publication is our way of saying thank you to each and every one of you who has given to the University, and to showcase your donations at work. Our donor community stretches beyond Australian borders as far as Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong and the USA, reflecting RMIT’s global reach.
There are so many stories of how giving to education at RMIT creates powerful change, and this publication highlights just a handful. As a donor to RMIT myself, I constantly see the impact of giving to RMIT across the University and in the community.
Whether your donation supports scholarships for disadvantaged or high-achieving students, helps RMIT enhance our global reach, or assists research and innovation, all of your gifts support our vision to enrich and transform the future.
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce RMIT’s new Chancellor, Dr Ziggy Switkowski, one of Australia’s most respected technology, innovation and business leaders. His distinguished career in business includes his work as CEO and Managing Director of Telstra, CEO of Optus, and Chairman of Kodak (Australia).
I am also delighted to introduce a new Development team, led by Director of Development, Melissa Smith, who was named the joint Global Fundraiser of the Year for 2011.
The Development team supports RMIT’s vision and brings opportunities to form deeper relationships with each of you. I hope you get a chance to meet members of the team in the coming year, if you haven’t already.
RMIT was built on a foundation of philanthropy, and in June this year we will celebrate 125 years since Melbourne philanthropist Francis Ormond donated £5,000 to establish the Working Men’s College in 1887, which was matched by smaller donations from the people of Melbourne. Since that time, many other donors with vision and belief in the power of education have also chosen to give to RMIT in a whole variety of ways.
Our anniversary is an opportunity to look to the future to consider how we want to shape the next 125 years – how to create solutions through innovation, build our presence in cities across the world to make a difference, and develop the global impact of our education and research. Through your gifts to RMIT, you too are part of this legacy.
Each one of you is making a difference to the future of RMIT through all the ways that you give back to the University.
Thank you again for your support.
Professor Margaret Gardner, AOVice-Chancellor and President
Building our Future: Your Donations to RMIT has been produced by the RMIT Development, Alumni and Advancement Services teams.
Design and layout: RMIT Creative, Marketing and Communications.
Photography: Katharine Dettmann Photography. Photos on page 2 and 4 by Tim Mullane.
Cover image: RMIT Vietnam student Yen Nguyen and scholarship recipient Jesse Rose.
Contact: We welcome your feedback.
Development RMIT University GPO Box 2476 Melbourne VIC 3001 Tel. +61 3 9925 5220 Email: [email protected] www.rmit.edu.au
About RMIT University
RMIT is a global university of technology and design and Australia’s largest tertiary institution. The University enjoys an international reputation for excellence in practical education and outcome-oriented research.
RMIT was founded on philanthropy, and has developed into the university it is today thanks to the generosity of all our supporters.
RMIT is a leader in technology, design, global business, communication, global communities, health solutions and urban sustainable futures. RMIT has three campuses in Melbourne, Australia, and two in Vietnam. We offer programs through partners in Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China, Malaysia, India and Europe.
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
Vice-Chancellor’s message 1Message from the Director of Development 2News 3Donor thank you reception 4Taking on New York 5On exchange in Melbourne 6Small beginnings, big dreams 7New facilities in Vietnam 8A head start in business 9In memory of my mother 10Our time at RMIT 12Why I chose to give a bequest 14Inside story—Dr Ziggy Switkowski 16Inside story—Professor Merilyn Liddell AM 18Inside story—Professor Charlie Xue 19Celebrating 125 years 20A scholarship and a great opportunity 22Research and innovation at RMIT 24Supporting tribes in PNG 25How your donations are managed 26Give today 27Donations to RMIT in 2011 28
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 1
Message from the Director of Development
Since joining RMIT University last year, I have been inspired to hear many of your stories about your connections to RMIT and the reasons why you have chosen to give to support education, research and innovation at RMIT.
Each one of you helps create progressive change through your gifts, whether it’s as broad as helping RMIT establish a university campus in Vietnam, or as individual as providing one student with the means to move to the city to start their education at RMIT.
RMIT is committed to continue building its culture of giving, and to provide our donors with a high level of transparency and accountability. Your gifts help to support the strategic priorities of the University: scholarships for students, research and innovation, and campus development.
One thing that inspires me in this role is witnessing the human capacity to make change. You do not have to be a leading academic or a celebrated researcher to bring about a better future – everyone can make a contribution to social change.
I often hear inspiring stories about the power of education – many of you have chosen to give because of the difference tertiary education has made in your own life, or within your family.
This publication includes just a handful of these stories, and while we could not include every story, we hope to illustrate the strength and diversity of life here at RMIT, and the broad impact of your gifts, which support so many different outcomes.
RMIT has a long history and culture of giving – throughout our history so many individuals, businesses and organisations have helped build RMIT into the global university of technology and design it is today. This culture will continue thanks to each of you, as we celebrate our 125-year anniversary and look to our legacy for the next 125 years.
My team and I look forward to hearing more from you over the coming year and welcoming you on campus.
Melissa SmithDirector of Development
Thank you, for contributing to transformative change
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Your gifts help to support the strategic priorities of the University: scholarships for students, research and innovation, and campus development.
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 2
RMIT QUARTER IN MELBOURNE SET TO GROW
RMIT’s $600 million capital works program continues to take shape in Melbourne, including a number of new building projects. The RMIT Swanston Academic Building (pictured left), designed by Melbourne firm Lyons, is the
largest investment in academic facilities ever undertaken by RMIT. The 35,000 square-metre, 11-storey building, which will be the home for RMIT’s College of Business, will be one of the largest teaching facilities in Australia.
RMIT is also continuing work on the Design Hub (pictured above), a 12,000 square metre building, designed by architect and RMIT alumnus Sean Godsell. The building was made possible by a $28.6 million grant from the Federal Government’s Education Investment Fund.
RMIT WELCOMES KIM SCOTT NEW WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE
Australian writer Kim Scott, who won the 2011 Miles Franklin Award for his novel That Deadman Dance, was named RMIT’s Writer-in-Residence last year.
The RMIT Writers-in-Residence program is supported generously through the Copyright Agency Limited Cultural Fund and provides students with an opportunity to learn from award winning writers through class sessions and workshops.
Associate Professor Scott, the ninth writer to join the program since it began in 2009, also won the inaugural Victorian Prize for Literature and the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Fiction.
NEW SCHOLARSHIP NAMED IN HONOUR OF RMIT PROFESSOR
An annual scholarship for first-year RMIT University students has been established in memory of the late Emeritus Professor John Jackson. It is one of the most generous philanthropic scholarships available at RMIT.
Emeritus Professor Jackson held a number of high-profile roles at RMIT from 1991 to 2003, and saw the University grow as an international provider of educational excellence and establish new territory in research. Professor Jackson had a strong reputation in economics and was co-author of eight editions of the book Economics with Ron McIver.
His legacy will continue through a scholarship offered by the trustees of his estate. The Emeritus Professor John Jackson Scholarship will recognise his vision to provide access to tertiary education for students facing socio-economic disadvantage.
GENEROSITY HELPSHEALTH SCIENCE RESEARCHERS
An international entrepreneur with interests in wellness, philanthropy, social justice and ecological sustainability has made a donation to help RMIT University researchers examine detoxification programs.
Bharat Mitra co-founded Organic India, which has pioneered socially responsible business practices in its organic farming of tulsi, a widely revered herb in India with strong antioxidant, antibacterial and immune-enhancing properties.
Motivated by both personal and professional interest in wellness and complementary medicine, Mr Mitra is supporting the research RMIT is currently undertaking in this area.
NEWS
READ MORE RMIT NEWS AT WWW.RMIT.EDU.AU/NEWS
Design Hub
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 3
In New York I had the wonderful opportunity to take a semester in footwear design at the Fashion Institute of Technolgy. You can be a little bit more adventurous in footwear, and I like to use unconventional materials and quite striking and statement pieces. That was a skill that I learned in New York that I’ve been able to bring back, and now I will definitely pursue a career in footwear fashion.
The street fashion in New York is amazing, and for a fashion student like me, so much inspiration. People aren’t afraid to be adventurous with what they wear. For example, you see a lot of headpieces in the street – you don’t really see that in Australia unless you go to the races.
I was there during the heart of the fashion week, and I’d never seen anything like it. I attended Fashion’s Night Out, and that’s when everyone in Manhattan dresses in their finest, and there are fashionistas everywhere. I was walking alongside Karl Lagerfeld at one stage, and I just thought, a little Aussie like me, being face to face with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld – that was truly amazing.
New York is very expensive, especially for a student. Because of visa restrictions, I couldn’t work in the US and study at the same time. So the John Storey scholarship was really essential to allow me to study there.
Since I came back to Melbourne I’ve been working on a boutique shoe label. The name of my label is Helo, an abbreviation of my names. Recently I held a label launch, where I showed pieces I had designed and made in New York. All my friends and family came along, so that was a big moment for me, to show everyone what I’d been doing in New York.
The whole experience of going to New York has changed my life. I would definitely like to thank the John Storey Junior Memorial Scholarship program for giving me the opportunity to go. And to all the supporters of scholarships that help us students – thank you!
TAKING ON
It’s every fashion student’s dream to live and study in New York – and that’s just what RMIT Fashion Technology student Helen Oltran was able to experience, thanks to a John Storey Junior Memorial Scholarship.
Helen Oltran in New York
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT
Last year’s Donor Thank You Reception at RMIT Gallery was a chance to say thank you to everyone who supports the University. Student Dylan Turnball gave a moving speech about the impact of scholarships in his life, Archibald prize-winning artist and Alumnus of the Year 2010 Sam Leach spoke about winning an art prize at RMIT that allowed him to study overseas, and Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Margaret Gardner said a special thank you to all donors.
To read more about how scholarships are making a
difference to RMIT students, visitwww.rmit.edu.au/giving
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RMIT student Helen Oltran showcases one of her shoe designs.
RMIT alumnus Phillip Zmood with his wife Barbara. Phillip spent much of his career with GM Holden, where he was instrumental in designing iconic Australian cars like the Torana and the Monaro.
There’s a lot happening on campus, from our special donor events to art exhibitions to thought-provoking lectures. To find out what’s on, sign up to our monthly email, RMIT Connect – please send your request to [email protected].
Judy Cope-Williams, daughter of Sir John Storey (who established the John Storey Junior Memorial Scholarships in memory of his son), with RMIT student and scholarship recipient Dylan Turnball.
Director of Development Melissa Smith with Archibald-prize winner Sam Leach and Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Margaret Gardner AO.
Geoffrey Christopherson AM, and Leonie Christopherson AM.
Jack Hoadley, Ian Douglas and Professor Brian Smith AO, Chair, RMIT Foundation.
DONOR THANK YOU RECEPTION 2011
FIND OUT WHAT’S ON
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Talk to any student at RMIT Vietnam and you’ll hear inspiring words and big plans for the future: “There aren’t many Vietnamese researchers. I really want to attempt to fill in that gap and show the world that Vietnamese people can be very good researchers,” says Dang Nguyen, who is studying a Bachelor of Professional Communication and also works as a student learning advisor at the campus.
Tuan Lam Minh is a current student who is also actively involved in sport at the campus. “At RMIT Vietnam I can access international education at an affordable price compared to studying abroad,” he says. “RMIT has encouraged me to develop my abilities, my passion, my responsibilities and my creativity. In the future, I may be the main income source of my family. Studying here I have more chances to learn and speak English, and to interact with international lecturers and teaching staff, so I build more confidence.”
The sentiment is echoed across the Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City campus. RMIT Vietnam was established by former Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Beanland and many of his colleagues. RMIT, with its emphasis on technology, design and work-ready graduates, was the perfect fit for a rapidly developing nation like Vietnam.
A significant gift from Atlantic Philanthropies, led by American philanthropist Chuck Feeney, allowed RMIT to build a world-class campus in Ho Chi Minh City, which now has over 5,000 students.
“Without the contribution from Atlantic Philanthropies, RMIT Vietnam may not have come to pass,” says Professor Merilyn Liddell, President of RMIT Vietnam and Pro Vice-Chancellor of RMIT.
Growth in HanoiThe Vietnam campus also includes premises in the national capital, Hanoi, with more than 1,000 students. There are plans to grow this in coming years, and move into bigger purpose-built premises – subject to funding.
“Hanoi is sitting in an area that needs a lot of urban development and adaptation to climate change issues,” says Professor Liddell.
“In Hanoi we want to extend undergraduate teaching and become active in research, with a strong focus on environmental sustainability – issues that are of critical importance to Vietnam, and especially pertinent to some of the big challenges of Hanoi itself,” says Professor Liddell. “But to do that, we need substantial seed funding to boost the small provision we currently have.”
University graduates are in high demand in Vietnam, and will play a key role in sustainable nation-building over the next few decades. Ten years since RMIT Vietnam was established, nearly 4,000 students have graduated from RMIT Vietnam and are contributing to the workforce and the community, with big dreams for the future of Vietnam and the fast-growing region in which it is located.
SMALL BEGINNINGS,
big dreamsIt began with just 31 students in a small converted building in Ho Chi Minh City in 2001, but thanks to one special donor, now RMIT Vietnam provides education to thousands of students who will help Vietnam develop as a nation for generations to come.
BUILDING VIETNAMAs part of RMIT’s work-integrated learning program, students from RMIT Vietnam have helped design a Disability Day Care Centre in Dien Ban district, an impoverished region of central Vietnam.
Dien Ban was heavily bombed with Agent Orange during the war, which has meant there is a large incidence of disability among children in the region, however, there were no services there to support families with disabled children.
Dr Esther Charlesworth, an RMIT Architecture alumnus, ARC Future Fellow and founder of Architects Without Frontiers Australia, developed a program called ‘Building the Community’, where RMIT students from a range of disciplines from Vietnam and Melbourne campuses collaborated to design a Disability Day Care Centre that would suit the needs of the local community.
When construction of the centre is completed this year, up to 80 kids from the region will receive physiotherapy, specialised teaching and special programs there at any one time. “This was a pioneering program that brought together the skills of a multidisciplinary team from RMIT. The students worked on a real project that will make a profound difference in the lives of many children,” says Dr Charlesworth.
Through similar RMIT programs, students have also used their skills to design a paediatric ward of a hospital in Da Nang, and have designed special accommodation to house homeless young people to allow them to attend school.
If you’d like to find out more about giving to RMIT Vietnam,
contact the Development office on +61 3 9925 5220, or email [email protected]
RMIT Vietnam student Yen Nguyen was able to travel to Melbourne from Ho Chi Minh City on exchange during the final year of her Bachelor of Business (Information Systems) degree, thanks to RMIT’s Study Abroad program.
Before RMIT’s Ho Chi Minh campus was built, it was often too expensive and impractical for Vietnamese families to send their children to university. Now students like Yen not only have the opportunity to attend university, but to study overseas, as part of RMIT’s commitment to the global mobility of students.
“RMIT is the only university in Vietnam that will guarantee me the same standard as any international university,” says Yen. “You get a very international experience – you meet a lot of foreigners, you discuss global issues. But then you go home and you can still see your parents and your brothers and sisters. We can still enjoy a family gathering.”
Yen has already completed an internship with KPMG in Vietnam, working on data analysis, and hopes to secure a job with a similar company when she graduates.
Tuan Lam Minh
Yen Nguyen
ON EXCHANGE in melbourne
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 7
JACQUES NASSER SCHOLARSHIPSRMIT graduate Jacques Nasser AO, Chairman of BHP Billiton, supports business innovation and entrepreneurship through a significant investment in scholarships. He created an endowment at RMIT which funds annual scholarships for Bachelor of Business (Entrepreneurship) students.
“The endowment’s vision is to encourage creativity in business and a culture of entrepreneurship,” Mr Nasser said. “The future wellbeing of our communities will depend largely on Australia’s global competitiveness, which in turn will be influenced by the capability of our people.”
Mr Nasser financed his way through business studies at RMIT by buying, fixing and selling cars. After graduation in 1968 he rose through the auto industry and in 1999 became President and Chief Executive of the global Ford business. He is now Chairman of BHP Billiton.
The Bachelor of Business (Entrepreneurship) is a practical action-oriented degree program in entrepreneurship. The Jacques Nasser Scholarships, which include bursaries for rural and regional students, travel scholarships and business start-up grants, have been awarded to top Entrepreneurship students at RMIT since 2005.
The $15 million recreation and events complex (nicknamed ‘The REC’) includes student accommodation, a sports field, a multi-functional basketball court, and a gymnasium. It also allows graduations to be held on campus for the first time.
The building was officially opened by Australian Foreign Minister, the Honourable Kevin Rudd, in April last year. More than 200 students, staff and VIP guests attended the opening ceremony.
In his speech, Mr Rudd praised RMIT for establishing a strong presence in Vietnam over the past ten years. He said the young people of Vietnam would offer “enormous opportunity” for their country if their productive potential could be fully realised. “And these young people, like the youth of the world, will want their voices heard in an increasingly pluralist system where continuing human rights challenges will need to be addressed,” he said.
After contributing more than $15 million to help establish the Ho Chi Minh City campus, Atlantic Philanthropies also wanted to ensure students had a well-rounded university experience. The organisation offered a further $6.5 million towards the recreation and events complex and student accommodation in Vietnam.
Atlantic Philanthropies was established by American businessman-turned-philanthropist, Mr Chuck Feeney. Mr Feeney was born into a blue-collar family in New Jersey during the Depression. He was the first member of his family to
graduate from university, and feels that education played a key role in his later success. He co-founded the Duty Free Shoppers Group in 1960, which, over the next few decades, grew to become the world’s largest travel retailer.
In 1984 Mr Feeney transferred hundreds of millions of dollars of wealth that he had earned through his business into Atlantic Philanthropies, a philanthropic foundation he had started two years earlier, with the aim to help create enduring, systematic changes in the lives of disadvantaged people.
Mr Feeney has championed the idea of “giving while living” – spending philanthropic resources during his lifetime, and actively participating in the distribution of wealth to worthy organisations. Other high profile individuals like Microsoft founder Bill Gates have also pursued this model, setting up billion dollar foundations that aim to give away all their assets within a set timeframe.
When Mr Feeney heard about RMIT University’s plans to establish a campus in Vietnam, he took an immediate interest. RMIT intended to build a world-class international university campus in Vietnam, which matched Atlantic Philanthropies’ focus on investing in projects that would help achieve progressive change in their communities.
Since opening its doors, the REC has rapidly become the hub of student club activities on Ho Chi Minh City campus, promoting physical fitness, recreation and general wellness to students.
NEW FACILITIESIN VIETNAM
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 9
A HEAD START IN
BUSINESSA novel idea and a scholarship from business leader Jacques Nasser helped RMIT graduate Paul Rogash start up his unique advertising business.
An entrepreneur is always on the lookout for business ideas, and Paul Rogash managed to find one in the most unusual of places.
During his second year of a Bachelor of Business (Entrepreneurship) at RMIT, Paul decided to set up a media company, printing advertising film that would fit into a new but prominent space for advertising – escalator handrails. “The idea just came to me one day,” says Paul. “I saw some signs in a lift in New York, and I started thinking about what spaces would fit different target markets. Eventually I decided it was worth investigating escalator handrails.”
He started working on the idea while completing his degree, using many of the concepts he learned at university to build the business. “The degree at RMIT gives a good background in terms of business planning and different aspects of business like marketing, finance, HR and so on. Some of the classes were especially worthwhile, like venture development – we had three or four mentors from different businesses come in and give us really practical advice about running a business,” he says.
But it was difficult to fund his company start-up while studying full-time. “When you’re trying to start a company, nobody is paying you a wage – you’re out on your own. Then I received the Jacques Nasser Scholarship, and I also came second in the RMIT Business Plan competition. The funds really helped me with start-up costs for the business.”
Two years later, Paul graduated from university and by then had developed a product ready for market. “I set up relationships with property groups, as they are the ones who do the sales work with advertisers, and the business started running,” says Paul.
Now Paul’s company, Escalated Advertising, sells his product in over 25 different countries. “The Jacques Nasser Scholarship was instrumental in helping me set up the business. Scholarships and prizes provide an incentive for people – it encourages you to be innovative and to do different things, and shows that you get rewarded for it.”
Read more stories about RMIT scholarship students online, visit www.rmit.edu.au/giving
For more information about Atlantic Philanthropies or to read more about giving while living, visit: www.atlanticphilanthropies.org
President of RMIT Vietnam Professor Merilyn Liddell AM, the Honourable Kevin Rudd, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, and RMIT Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Margaret Gardner AO at the opening of the new student accommodation at RMIT Vietnam, a gift from Atlantic Philanthropies.
RMIT Vietnam has unveiled a new recreation and events complex and student accommodation building at Ho Chi Minh City campus, made possible thanks to a gift from Atlantic Philanthropies.
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It’s hard to imagine that not so long ago, being a woman meant that you were at home, that you were not educated, that you did not have any of the options that sometimes we take for granted.
Inder Kaur (above) graduating with her Masters from the University of Delhi in 1958, aged 47.
RMIT’s Professor Supriya Singh (right) has created a scholarship in memory of her mother.
When Professor Supriya Singh was seeking a way to honour her mother, she could think of no better tribute than to establish a scholarship in her mother’s name. “Education flows from the story of my mother’s life,” says Professor Singh. Professor Singh’s mother, Inder Kaur, was born in 1911 in Rawalpindi, then part of India. Inder had to leave school at puberty because it wasn’t seen as proper for young girls to be at school. In 1947, Rawalpindi became part of the new country of Pakistan, which led to the displacement of over 12 million people, including Inder’s family. “Our family became refugees,” says Professor Singh. “We left our ancestral home, Rawalpindi, and moved to Delhi. It changed a lot of things – social norms began to change, because in order to survive, every member of the family needed to be employed. So through a variety of steps, my mother began to get an education.” Inder began to study, first completing her high school matriculation. “It was very difficult for her – she had to work, look after her family and study, and study in a language that was not her own. When I was around eight, I remember her coming back from work at about 10 pm and having her dinner, listening to me read British constitutional history. That was the only time she had. It was a very tough ask.”Against all odds, Professor Singh’s mother continued her education and completed a university degree, followed by a Masters, a very rare accomplishment for a woman of her time. “She then became an educator herself, and was the founding Principal of three women’s Colleges in Punjab,” says Professor Singh. “Her whole life turned around from being a traditional housewife to being an educator of women. That was very much part of the refugee experience for her, because in a traditional environment, she wouldn’t have had those opportunities.”Professor Singh has followed in her mother’s footsteps. As a Professor of Sociology of Communications at RMIT, she is currently researching the sociology of money, migration and banking.
“In my own life I’ve had no problems with education, but that’s because my mother made sure I had the best education,” says Professor Singh. “It’s hard to imagine that not so long ago, being a woman meant that you were at home, that you were not educated, that you did not have any of the options that sometimes we take for granted. I can work anywhere in the world. For my mother, even getting the education so that she could work was very difficult.”
Professor Singh chose to establish a scholarship for refugee women studying an undergraduate course, as a way to both honour her mother and continue her mother’s legacy. “Life can be very difficult for refugees. Family commitments and the need to work can make study difficult. This scholarship will enable recipients to concentrate on what they most want to do. Once you have a foot in the education world, then it’s easier to carry on.”
Professor Singh had wanted to set up the scholarship for a number of years, but hadn’t found a suitable institution. “At RMIT I found there was a system in place. So if I want the scholarship in perpetuity, there is a process to ensure that the spirit behind the scholarship will be honoured. What also made me confident was that all the money that our family gives would be put towards the scholarship. It wouldn’t be eaten up in administration costs,” she says.
“RMIT is a place where I don’t have to worry whether the scholarship would be implemented well, I know it’s going in the right direction.”
It was a proud day when Professor Singh signed the agreement to establish the Inder Kaur Scholarship at RMIT. Both her sons, Aman and Sunil Bhar were present. Aman flew to Melbourne for the occasion – coming all the way from Malaysia. “It’s an important part of our family history and we needed to celebrate it,” says Professor Singh. “My mother had a passion for education. I thought this was a good way to honour her and her achievements.”
IN MEMORY OF MY MOTHER
Inder Kaur left school at the age of 13, but managed to triumph against the odds and become an educator of women in India. Now her daughter, RMIT’s Professor Supriya Singh, has found a special way to honour her mother’s extraordinary legacy.
Establish your own scholarshipIf you’d like more information about establishing scholarships at RMIT,
contact the Development team on +61 3 9925 5220 or email [email protected]
Professor Supriya Singh
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 11
Chemistry for me was a hobby when I was a teenager. I had a chemistry set, I liked working with my hands and doing experiments.
My aim was to do chemistry at RMIT, finish a diploma and work for a chemical company. RMIT was valued by industry – graduates could start work on the first day because they were highly trained and skilled people. But I was inspired by all the new knowledge that I was gaining, I wanted to learn more. I continued my studies to do my Masters and then PhD, and then went to work in industry.
I met Josephine on a bus in Flinders Street. I was waiting at Flinders Street with my backpack to join a six-day camping tour to the Flinders Ranges. When the bus arrived Josephine was already on the bus. Instant chemistry!
Several years later I applied to join RMIT as a lecturer with the main responsibility to develop a polymer science program in the Chemistry Department. I enjoyed the academic environment. While I’ve been at RMIT a long time now, I change my teaching and research objectives progressively. Now we have exceptional computer controlled instruments that provide precision measurement and advanced analysis capability.
Having been here as a student, as a teacher and researcher, I thought it would be a good idea to fund students in the longer term to learn about science and technology. I can teach, and supervise postgraduate students, for a certain amount of time, but funding the scholarship is my way of supporting and encouraging students into the future.
OUR TIME
ROBERT
Professor Robert Shanks and Josephine Shanks have seen some fascinating changes in the decades they have both studied and worked at RMIT. Here they share their memories of RMIT and tell why they chose to establish a scholarship to support PhD research in science, engineering and technology.
I first came to RMIT as a schoolgirl in the late 1960s to look at a computer. The computer was an Elliott 803, in the front room on the ground floor of Storey Hall. There were very few computers in Melbourne then, it was very exotic.
As Josephine Widdicombe, I enrolled in the Associate Diploma of Mathematics and Computer Science at RMIT, the only dedicated qualification in computer science in Melbourne at the time.
To me, computer programming was problem solving. You’d submit your hand written instructions for your computer program to someone who would type it onto paper tape, and that would be fed into the computer. A day or so later you’d get your printout. If you’d done something wrong coding your instructions – left one character off – it was another whole day before it could be corrected again. It was a very slow process, but it was the cutting edge of technology then.
After a number of years working in industry, I returned to RMIT as Senior Programmer in the Administrative Systems Group, eventually becoming manager. Robert was already working here as a lecturer, but we were in different buildings, so we’d only see each other when we got home. People would say to me, there’s a fellow over in chemistry by the name of Shanks, do you know him?
I was elected onto the RMIT Council as the general staff representative. That was a very interesting time because the number of tertiary institutions was being reduced. So the Council went through a lot of torrid discussions about what was best for RMIT.
We had to ask, why was RMIT unique, what was special about RMIT? To me, it comes down to RMIT’s motto – Perita Manus, Mens Exculta – ‘A skilled hand, a cultivated mind’. I think that it’s as current today as it ever was.
Robert has a life-long love of learning. He has always been a researcher, breaking new ground in his field. In 2002 he gathered together many of his publications, consolidated them with an explanation of their significance, and was awarded a Doctor of Science by thesis. That’s really inspiring, I think.
One of our children was also a student here, right through to PhD. He did computer science as well. So at one stage our family had every RMIT experience: the academic, the administrator and the student.
We’d long talked about creating a scholarship. Now our children are established, we thought, let’s do it. There’s so much pleasure to be had in seeing it underway. It is essential for Australia’s future that we have people qualified to the doctorate level. I think investment in education is the finest investment that can be made.
JOSEPHINE
AT RMIT
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It is essential for Australia’s future that we have people qualified to the doctorate level. I think investment in education is the finest investment that can be made.
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’Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 1313
RMIT alumnus Silvia Tejedor has pledged a bequest that will support women studying engineering or science-based disciplines at RMIT.
When Silvia Tejedor enrolled in the Certificate of Technology in Electronics at RMIT in 1980, she was one of only two young women signing up for the course. By the time class started, Silvia was the only woman left in the course of over 100 students – at the time, it wasn’t a field many women chose to pursue.
Silvia arrived in Australia from Argentina in 1975, and while she found learning English at school challenging, she was ahead of the class in mathematics and science. “Mathematics, science and physics was always my passion,” she says, which drove her to study electronics.
Despite being the only female in class, she enjoyed studying at RMIT immensely. “The other people in the course were great – they were very thoughtful, very helpful, and so were the lecturers,” she says.
After graduating, Silvia got a job with the Department of Defence, where she still works as a Technical Officer in Electronics.
Silvia had long wanted to do something to encourage more women to follow a career in engineering and science. She read about another donor who created a scholarship in the RMIT Connect email, and decided to create a scholarship of her own, by leaving a bequest in her will.
Like Silvia, many donors choose to leave a gift to RMIT in their will, called a bequest. Bequests can fund scholarships, prizes, support research or campus development, depending on the wishes of the donor.
“I had a good experience at RMIT, and I do believe that you can progress well in life with a proper education. I know there are a lot of disadvantaged people out there who need that little bit of financial help with their education,” she says.
“Now I’m at a stage of my life where I’d like to contribute something towards RMIT, particularly to encourage girls to do electronics, science or engineering,” says Silvia. “At the moment I don’t have the amount of money on hand to give to a scholarship, but I know when I die there will be some money which my husband and my children will inherit. So I made a bequest in my will to put aside a little of that money to create a scholarship.”
The scholarship is Silvia’s way of giving back to RMIT and to continue her legacy. “I did come from a poor background, and I made a better life thanks to the facilities, education and people here in Australia. So I want to give back. I think it’s very important that we all do that,” she says. “I hope my passion for education lives on. I hope whoever receives the scholarship or prize will then do the same for someone else too.”
FIND OUT MORE If you’d like more information
about leaving a bequest in your will, contact the Development office on +61 3 9925 5220,
or email [email protected]
I choseTO GIVE A BEQUEST
why
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I hope my passion for education lives on. I hope whoever receives the scholarship or prize will then do the same for someone else too.
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 15
RMIT’s focus on technology will be important in the future of our society and economy, says RMIT’s Chancellor, Dr Ziggy Switkowski, whose background in science shaped his own career.
Tertiary education has been absolutely critical in my life. In fact, some of the happiest and most important periods of my life were as a student and then as a researcher here in Melbourne and overseas.
My graduate training was in experimental nuclear astrophysics. From there I went to work in California during the latter stages of the manned lunar programs in the 1970s. It was an exhilarating period, and also a formative one.
I’ve always believed that science matters, and that scientifically trained people have a leadership role in our community and a contribution to make in public policy. My career has examples of all of that.
At Telstra I was making decisions around the allocation of large amounts of money for capital spending and research. A background in science allows you to form views about the relative merits of different research and development projects. An ability to understand the business cases and the economic justifications does require a certain numerical and financial dexterity that often flows from a scientific background.
A couple of years ago, the National Academy of Engineering did a survey of the most transformative technologies of the 20th century. If you look at that list, which includes electrification, automobiles, telephony, computers, water distribution – you come to realise the central role of science and technology in society.
RMIT has its origins as a leading institute of technology. More recently we’ve expanded that vision to be a global university of technology and design. In my own experience, RMIT has deep capability in the areas of science, engineering and fundamental physics, and as a global university.
I have a long association with RMIT – I’ve known past Chancellors and past Vice-Chancellors. I’ve observed, with a high degree of respect, the growing success of RMIT, its influence in the broader community and the significance of its alumni.
Increasingly, our society and our economy is going to be a knowledge-intensive one. We at RMIT have a distinctive role to play. RMIT offers both higher education programs along with TAFE programs. This delivers skills for trades that are fundamental to our communities, through to higher education, which provides for deeper intellectual pursuits that matter.
Great universities typically are founded on the leadership of visionary people, and built with financial support from governments, institutions and individuals who value higher education, who are far sighted, and who wish to support a university that is consistent with their ideals and aspirations.
RMIT has benefited from that level of support. But RMIT continues to need that support to help deliver on its vision. Support comes in many forms. Financial support for scholarships, for programs, for physical facilities here and for overseas campuses, is much needed and much appreciated by RMIT.
Many people have been touched by their experience at RMIT, and have been transformed as a result of that association. My own experience is that the period when you are at university is a critical period in forming your character, as well as increasing the value of your contribution to society.
Dr Ziggy Switkowski is Chancellor, RMIT University. He is a chairman of Suncorp and Opera Australia and a non-executive director of listed companies Tabcorp, Oil Search and Lynas. He is the former chairman of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, and a former chief executive officer of Telstra, Optus and Kodak (Australia). He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
INSIDE STORYTHREE RMIT LEADERS SHARE THEIR INSIGHTS INTO THE UNIVERSITY, ITS FUTURE, AND THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF DONORS IN EDUCATION.
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Great universities typically are founded on the leadership of visionary people, and built with financial support from governments, institutions and individuals who value higher education.
Dr Ziggy Switkowski
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Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 1717
Globally there’s a huge shortage of support for research to evaluate health interventions. Contributions from individual donors and other organisations that help advance health care research are hugely important to help these areas move forward. There’s a real opportunity to develop new therapies and provide scientific evidence-based complementary medicine therapies to benefit our community.
Professor Charlie Xue is a leading researcher in Chinese Medicine and complementary medicine in Australia and around the world. In 2011 he received the Vice-Chancellor’s Research Excellence Award. Among his many appointments, he is Inaugural Chair, Chinese Medicine Board of Australia; member, World Health Organisation Expert Advisory Panel for Traditional Medicine; and Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine, RMIT University. Professor Xue’s research has been supported by over $8 million research grants including six Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Project Grants.
Professor Merilyn Liddell AM
Vietnam has such a long cultural history. It was devastated in the 20th century by war and conflict. When I first arrived here, I half expected the country to still be somewhat angry about the past, but I found none of that. I found optimism, enormous enthusiasm and energy looking towards the future.
Contributing to education here is very worthwhile. Most of my career I was a doctor, then I worked in medical education, and eventually I ended up in university administration, running a university campus and setting up a medical school in Kuala Lumpur. Then I got the opportunity to come to RMIT Vietnam – I found the concept of a university campus in Vietnam very exciting.
The Australian Government is quite clear that having RMIT in Vietnam is important for Australia, because education is considered to be one of Australia’s key exports. It is also considered extremely important by the Vietnamese government.
I had a meeting with the President of Vietnam recently, and he made the point that he is happy to see RMIT in Vietnam for the long haul, that the University is important and vital for the country in the long term – it was a great thing to hear.
In this role you see the opportunities that an education from RMIT brings to students in Vietnam who wouldn’t otherwise have such opportunities. It means a lot to their families, to the country, to businesses, to industry and leadership. RMIT brings all the characteristics of a quality modern international university to Vietnam.
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When I first arrived, I half expected Vietnam to still be somewhat angry about the past, but I found none of that. I found optimism, enormous enthusiasm and energy looking towards the future.
Professor Charlie Xue
RMIT’s Professor Charlie Xue, Head of the School of Health Sciences, is a leading researcher in Chinese Medicine in Australia. Here he explains why RMIT’s evidence-based approach to complementary medicine is important for the future of health care.
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Contributions from individual donors and other organisations that help advance health care research are hugely important to help these areas move forward.
There are many challenges in the existing health care system. The system is under a lot of pressure – the resources are limited, the demand has increased, the cost for managing age-related and chronic illness has escalated significantly over the last decade, and will continue to grow.
As a health care educator and researcher, my view is that we need to be pro-active in looking into what other options are available for patients, particularly those who have significant long-term suffering from a chronic illness. We should not discredit any therapy without thorough evaluation of its potential – we need to assess the benefit versus the risk.
Health care is an individual choice. The public spend millions and millions of dollars out-of-pocket on complementary medicine care in Australia – more than two thirds of the population use complementary medicine as part of their health care choices.
Complementary medicine research has a relatively short history in Australia, and RMIT is taking a solid scientific, multidisciplinary collaborative approach to these therapies. We need to look into effective and cost-effective health care with multiple options for the public, because not one therapy works for every patient with the same condition.
I have been a researcher for the last 17 years, focused on clinical studies. We work on determining scientific evidence for clinical practice in Chinese Medicine, particularly looking at effectiveness of therapies in chronic respiratory disease and pain management.
The RMIT School of Health Sciences is unique to any other school in Australia, because we’re the largest provider of complementary medicine education and research training. We lead the country by developing high quality multidisciplinary collaborative research projects in this field. This approach has been very fruitful, and some of these projects are now funded by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council.
There are shortcomings in complementary medicine, like any other health care practice. Due to the short history, research in this area is still in its infancy. That’s largely due to a few factors – there’s a lack of qualified people to do the research, there’s a lack of understanding about the importance of research in this area, and also it’s an area that is still in the early stages of establishing a strong research culture.
Vietnam is a country undergoing rapid growth and broad social change. Professor Merilyn Liddell AM, President of RMIT Vietnam and Vice President of RMIT, gives her insights into how RMIT will seek to play an important role in the nation’s future.
RMIT is a global university and RMIT Vietnam is an important part of that. We are highly regarded on the international rankings for a number of reasons, including our presence in Vietnam. We are growing – soon we plan to have a PhD program up and running and we are increasing our research focus. The big picture long-term plan is to make sure RMIT is effective, viable and significant in the country for a long time to come.
A conversation that made a great impression upon me was with the mother of one of our students. The mother had seen her daughter gain strength of purpose, critical thinking skills and confidence through her education at RMIT Vietnam.
A lot of our young graduates are the same. They go out into the workforce, present themselves well, get to a level that they wouldn’t have otherwise expected, perform well, receive good feedback and proceed quite quickly. Some start their own businesses – they have an entrepreneurial outlook and now the skills to back it up. This makes their families very proud of them. In a country where family is very strong, that means an awful lot to these young people.
Through our graduates, and through the example we provide of international education in action, the contribution of the University to the Vietnamese community is really quite far-reaching.
Professor Merilyn Liddell AM, is Vice-President of RMIT and President of RMIT International University Vietnam. She held similar roles at Monash University and its Sunway (Malaysia) campus. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. She was appointed a Member (AM) in the Order of Australia in 2010 for her services to tertiary education and administration, particularly in medicine, and cross-cultural exchange and cooperation with Malaysia.
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SUPPORTING RESEARCHIf you’d like to find out more about supporting research and innovation at RMIT, contact the Development team
on +61 3 9925 5220 or email [email protected]
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 19
RMIT University began life as The Working Men’s College on the corner of La Trobe Street and Bowen Street, Melbourne in 1887 (pictured above).
After the gold rush ended, Melbourne was in dire need of educated and skilled workers. Local philanthropist and grazier Francis Ormond pledged to donate £5,000 to build a college that would be accessible to ordinary people and teach industry-relevant skills. But he also threw down a challenge – his gift had to be matched. The Age newspaper supported the challenge, and the people
of Melbourne matched Ormond’s donation with smaller, individual gifts.
The College began with 200 students who were taught applied skills relevant to trades. Within just two years there were 2,000 students.
In 1899 The Working Men’s College began offering full-time courses in engineering and applied science leading to diplomas. The name Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology was adopted in 1960, and was shortened to RMIT University in 1992, when status as a university was granted.
RMIT has grown into a global university of technology and design, with more than 74,000 students and over 280,000 alumni in 130 countries around the world. Founded on philanthropy, RMIT’s culture of giving continues today, through our community of generous donors who support the University’s vision by giving to scholarships, research and campus development.
Pictured above is RMIT’s Green Brain on the corner of La Trobe and Swanston Streets. The eye-catching canopy is designed by Ashton Raggatt McDougall
(alumni of RMIT), the architects responsible for the award-winning redesign of neighbouring Storey Hall in 1995.
The University still has its heart in the city – the Melbourne City campus now occupies the block between Swanston and Russell Streets and new developments including the Swanston Street Academic Building and the Design Hub will soon add to the RMIT University quarter. Campuses further afield include Brunswick and Bundoora in Melbourne, a campus in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and a growing campus in Hanoi, reflecting RMIT’s global growth.
It’s RMIT’s 125-year anniversary in June, and while much has
changed since the University opened
its doors in 1887, it has always stayed true to its origins.
20121887
CELEBRATING 125years
A plumbing instructor preparing samples for students.
The official opening of the Emily McPherson College (which later would become part of RMIT) by the Duchess of York in 1927.
Student area, Building 56.
Inside the Green Brain.
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 21
RMIT’s Melbourne campus was a long way from the small town of Bright, where Jesse Rose grew up – 300 kilometres or four hours’ drive down the Hume Highway to be exact.
He was accepted into a five-year Civil Engineering and International Studies double degree right after finishing high school, which meant leaving his home town. “RMIT had a good reputation for practical engineering. I liked that, and the double degree with International Studies really made it my first choice,” he says.
It was a big move from Bright to Melbourne, and to support himself, Jesse studied the double degree program during the week and worked long hours in a café every Saturday and Sunday. “Studying and working like that is pretty draining. That’s one of the hardest things about study – coping with all these different stresses you’ve got.”
Thanks to good grades, he was then awarded a scholarship designed for disadvantaged and high-achieving students. “The scholarship made a huge difference. It took a lot of pressure off – there wasn’t the same worry having to maintain an intensive job, balanced with full-time study,” he says.
“The scholarship gives me the support to focus on my studies, but also extracurricular activities, like my work with Engineers Without Borders.”
Engineers Without Borders was founded by RMIT graduate Daniel Almagor, who was also named RMIT’s Alumnus of the Year in 2009. Engineers Without Borders brings together engineering students, young graduates, and experienced engineers to help solve basic, small-scale engineering problems faced by people in developing countries.
Jesse joined the RMIT chapter of Engineers Without Borders, and is currently serving as President. “What attracted me to engineering, and to Engineers Without Borders, is that you can create something really tangible through the skills we learn here in the engineering degrees.”
Through Engineers Without Borders he found out about a unique project through RMIT’s Study Abroad program. In the third year of his course he travelled to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to take on an internship with an NGO called Habitat for Humanity, which builds houses for communities in need around the world.
“It certainly wasn’t a holiday,” he says of the experience. “I worked with other engineers from Engineers Without Borders to develop a building code for the different regions that Habitat for Humanity works in. Many regions in South Vietnam are prone to flooding and typhoons. So the code will give people a blueprint to build houses that are better designed and able to cope with weather extremes or natural disasters.”
Jesse was inspired by his experience in Vietnam, and plans to work as an engineer on international development projects after graduating. “In order to do that effectively, I plan to work here in Australia for a few years first. I want to hone my craft, and learn a little bit more about the technical side of my profession. In the long term I’d certainly like to be working in the international development sector,” he says.
It’s a direction he might not have discovered were it not for the scholarship. “The scholarship had more impact than just on me as an individual. It allowed me to go and do other things that help the community,” he says.
A scholarship and aGREAT OPPORTUNITY
RMIT’s 2011 Annual Appeal raised more money than ever for scholarships to help disadvantaged and high-achieving students. For RMIT student Jesse Rose, a scholarship not only allowed him to focus more on his studies, but to head overseas and help others too.
The scholarship had more impact than just on me as an individual. It allowed me to go and do other things that help the community.
Thank you for supporting RMIT’s Annual Appeal
Each year, RMIT’s Annual Appeal raises money for scholarships to support high-achieving and disadvantaged students. The 2011 Annual Appeal ran throughout June and was a great success—RMIT received more gifts for student scholarships than ever before. All donations, no matter the size, have an impact.
100% of all funds raised go directly to students, as no administration costs are deducted from gifts.
If you have any questions or feedback please contact the RMIT Development team, +61 3 9925 5220 or email [email protected]
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 23
In the footsteps of GaudíRMIT’s Professor Mark Burry has spent three decades transforming one of Spain’s most intriguing and ambitious landmarks: the Sagrada Família.
Acclaimed architect Antoni Gaudí began work on the cathedral, in 1883 (incidentally, four years before RMIT was founded as The Working Men’s College in Melbourne). When he died in 1926, only a small fraction of the project was complete. All Gaudí’s drawings were subsequently burnt and his elaborate scale models smashed in the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s.
Professor Mark Burry became involved in the Sagrada Família project on a research trip to Barcelona in 1979 when, through extraordinary luck, he interviewed two of Gaudí’s colleagues, both aged in their late 80s, who described the geometric secrets within the remaining models.
Now, as Executive Architect and Researcher for the Sagrada Família, Professor Burry and his team use aeronautical design software to faithfully interpret Gaudí’s vision, translating the basilica’s complicated curves into computer models that can easily be interpreted by stonemasons on the ground in Barcelona. He has spent more than 30 years working on the project, which is projected to be completed in 2026.
Professor Burry is also the Director of RMIT’s Spatial Information Architecture Laboratory (SIAL).
A unique partnership between a tribe in Papua New Guinea and RMIT, funded through the Fred P Archer Charitable Trust, is set to help the remote tribal community thrive. A handwritten letter from Chief Giwisa Pitaingo, Supreme Chief of the remote Kukukuku tribe (also known as the Patea tribe), arrived in Melbourne recently, in support of a project by an RMIT researcher.
“For so many years, we have been told what to do, and mining extraction has badly affected our land,” he wrote. “[But] in the last couple of years… the Patea tribe has met other tribal communities and is now part of the growing Pariet-Amam-Patea collective.”
The Kukukuku tribe consists of several clans across the very remote mountainous country of the Papuan Gulf. Until relatively recently, much of their territory was isolated, a long walk from all but a few mission air strips.
Dr Yaso Nadarajah, from RMIT’s Globalism Research Centre, was introduced to the Kukukuku tribe in 2008 by RMIT graduate Naup Waup, who is from the region.
Now, thanks to funding from the Fred P Archer Charitable Trust, Yaso is developing a number of programs that will contribute towards the community’s
own efforts to preserve their culture, develop local expertise, and promote self-governance and self-reliance.
One of the first initiatives was to build a theatre group that brought the clans and tribes together to revive stories important to their culture. The first major performance by the group was titled ‘Tears of the Rainforest’ and told the story of how their cultural land is being lost to large scale resource extraction. “It really got people thinking about who they are, their cultural stories, and how to collectively address their own survival,” says Yaso.
The Pariet-Amam-Patea collective now encompasses more than 93,000 people. Yaso, also now a member of the collective, says, “This is a long-term project – we are looking at ten years of development. In the first year we will build on a number of community activities that have brought clans together. Then we will look at training that will enable the tribal community to build sustainability and wellbeing.”
The project received funding from the Fred P Archer Charitable Trust, for which The Trust Company is Trustee. Fred P Archer spent much of his life working with communities in Papua New Guinea, and established a trust prior to his death in 1977 to continue to support his philanthropic vision.
“His philosophy in life was all about supporting and educating the communities in Papua New Guinea that had helped him build up a substantial plantation operation,” says Simon Lewis, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Communications and Community at The Trust Company. “As Trustee, we now have to stand in his shoes and invest in projects we believe he would have endorsed. This project is helping a traditional culture embrace change without losing its authenticity and cultural heritage.”
Chief Giwisa Pitaingo wrote to The Trust Company to outline how Yaso’s work is helping his community. “We respect people like Yaso who have kept coming to be with us, and sharing stories from other places in the world,” he wrote. “We have an opportunity to share our stories and our ideas about what is possible for our future.”
Read more about RMIT research projects online at
www.rmit.edu.au/giving
SUPPORTING TRIBES INPNG
Fred P Archer
RMIT graduate Naup Waup, Chief Giwisa Pitaingo and RMIT’s Dr Yaso Nadarajah in PNG.
From decoding Gaudí’s grand designs to researching ways to provide clean drinking water in developing countries, RMIT researchers are using technology and innovation to transform the future.
RESEARCH&INNOVATIONAT
RMIT
SUPPORTING RESEARCHIf you’d like to find out more about supporting research and innovation at RMIT,
contact the Development team on +61 3 9925 5220 or email [email protected]
Improving health and lifestyleA leading US research and lobby group has invested $500,000 in multiple sclerosis (MS) research at RMIT University’s Health Innovation Research Institute. RMIT’s Dr Steven Petratos will investigate ways to block the molecules which cause nerve fibre degeneration, with the hope that the research will lead to new treatments that may limit neurological decline in MS.
Smart technology solutionsRMIT researchers are working on developing cheap, portable water purifiers using nanocomposite clays so clean drinking water can become a reality in communities where it is needed most. A Joint Research Centre established by RMIT and the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology will research new technologies for water treatment, renewable energy and air pollution control. Nanocomposite clays can be used to make pots that purify dirty groundwater and make it safe to drink.
Sustainability and climate changeConcrete may be a ubiquitous building material, but it also accounts for up to eight per cent of human-generated carbon dioxide. RMIT researchers are working out how to make a more sustainable concrete, using a lower impact compound called fly ash. The researchers are investigating just how much fly ash can be used to produce concrete that still retains its construction integrity, while reducing the amount of CO2 produced.
The future of citiesAround 50 per cent of the world’s threatened species and 40 per cent of endangered ecosystems are found in urban fringe zones. RMIT’s Professor Michael Buxton is researching peri-urban (peripheral non-urban) areas which include many of these threatened species and ecosystems, investigating population development and natural resources use, to discover the trends, drivers and pressures on peri-urban areas.
DESIGNING THE FUTURE
Above: Professor Mark Burry, on site at the Sagrada Família Cathedral in Barcelona. Main photo: The Sagrada Família.
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 25
When you donate to RMIT University, your funds are managed by the RMIT Foundation. The Foundation is the custodian and steward of funds donated, endowed or bequested to RMIT.
RMIT Foundation funds a wide range of scholarships and programs that help students to support or enhance their studies. There are over 80 separate endowments established by generous donors, from merit-based prizes, research support for doctoral students, to mobility scholarships that enable students to study part of their program overseas. The Foundation reports to the RMIT Council and is audited annually by the Auditor General of Victoria.
The Trustees are bound by the Trust Deed of the Foundation, the Trust Act of Victoria 1958 and by common law to ensure that once a donation has been accepted, the funds are distributed in accordance with the donors’ instructions and wishes. Such instructions may be in the form of a gift deed, a will, or other written instruction.
The RMIT Foundation has a policy framework that is designed to ensure that funds are distributed in accordance with the wishes of the donor and that the real value of endowed funds is protected against inflation. Where earnings allow, the Board of Trustees of the RMIT Foundation adheres to a policy of reinvesting a portion of the endowment’s earnings back into the fund capital in order to maintain the real value of the endowment. Earnings over and above that requirement are then made available for disbursement according to the donor agreements.
Both RMIT University and The RMIT University Foundation have Deductible Gift Recipient status with the Australian Tax Office and all donations over $2 in Australia are tax deductible.
There are no fees or administrative costs taken from gifts to the RMIT Foundation – 100% of each gift goes directly to its allocated recipient.
Your donation helps RMIT University provide education, research and innovation opportunities that are life-changing for students, and transformative for communities both locally and globally.
By giving to RMIT, you help create opportunity that reaches far beyond geographical borders, that will shape the future for generations to come.
You can continue this legacy by giving again to RMIT.
If you would like to give further, please visit us online at www.rmit.edu.au/giving, or call us on +61 3 9925 5220.
Cheques can be made payable to RMIT Foundation and sent to: RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne VIC 3001.
100% of your gift goes directly to education at RMIT—there are no administration costs deducted from your gift—and gifts over $2 are fully tax deductible in Australia.
Thank you for your support.
give today
You can helpTRANSFORM THE FUTURE. It was donors like you who helped establish RMIT, and who will help build its future— we deeply value your support.
There are currently 9 members of the Board of Trustees of the RMIT Foundation:
» Professor Brian Smith AO (Chair)
» Dr Peter Jonson
» Mr Steve Somogyi
» Ms Janet Latchford
» Dr Ziggy Switkowski
» Ms Rosemary Lever
» Dr Walter WJ Uhlenbruch AO
» Mr Jonathan Hamer
» Ms Virginia Rogers
Last year we farewelled Mr Christopher van Aanholt and Mr Ian George, who retired from their positions at the Foundation. RMIT University would like to thank them for their valued contribution.
MORE INFORMATION
Further information on RMIT Foundation is available in RMIT’s Annual Report. For a copy of the report, please contact the Development office on +61 3 9925 5220, or email [email protected]
how your donationsARE MANAGED
The RMIT Foundation 2011. Front row, left to right: Emeritus Professor Brian Smith AO (Chair), Ms Virginia Rogers, Dr Walter Uhlenbruch AO, Ms Rosemary Lever. Second row, left to right: Mr Jonathan Hamer, Ms Janet Latchford, Mr Ian George. Back row, left to right: Dr Julie Wells (Secretary), Mr Steve Somogyi. Foundation members Dr Ziggy Switkowski, Mr Christopher van Aanholt, Dr Peter Jonson are not present in the photo.
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 27
Mr Ermyas Abebe
Professor Daine Alcorn
Ms Raffaela Arena-Cairney
The Honourable Keith Asche AC
Mrs Anne Asche
Mr Richard Attiwill
Ms Michele Azzopardi
Mr Xuefeng Bai
Professor Anthony Bailey
Ms Gemma Baker
Mr Henry Balfour
Mr Allan R Ballagh
Emeritus Prof David Beanland AO
Dr Joy Bear
Mr William Beazley
Mr Hendrikus Berkers
Mr Horace Billon
Mrs Evelyn Boekemann
Miss Marion Bonello
Miss Lea-Anne Bradley
Mrs Molly Brownless
Ms Claire Buckis
Professor Desmond P Cahill OAM
Mr Lemuel Callaway
Miss Frances M Chamberlin
Mr Adrian Chambers
Associate Professor Sebamalar Chandraraj
Christopherson Family
Mr Wing Kit Chu
Mr Wayne Chung
Mr Damian R Collins
Dr John W Connell
Mr Stephen Connelly
Ms Jane Connolly
Mr David J Cotterill
Ms Debbie Dadon
Ms Delna Dadyburjor
Mrs Eleanor Dailey
Professor Tony Dalton
Mr Eric Dewar
Mr Oscar Diaz
Mr Ian S Douglas
Captain Nigel B M D’Souza
Mr James Dyall and Mrs Valerie Dyall
Professor Harriet Edquist
Mr Richard and Mrs Julie Eisenbise
Ms Fiona Ellis
Mr Maurice Feitel
Mrs Edith L Feitel
Mrs Judith Fiala
Mr David M Finn
Associate Professor David W Forrest
Emeritus Professor Leo Foster
Mr Terrence Francis and Mrs Robyn Francis
Professor Margaret Gardner AO
Mr John Georgakopoulos
Mr Ian George
Professor R Dennis Gibson AO
Dr Robert Guthrie
Dr Mary Hanrahan
Mr Rick Harrison
Mr Leo Ho
Mr William Hogarth
Ms Margaret Holmes
Mrs Penelope Hope
Mr John R Houghton
Mr Paul M Inglis
Mr Raymond J Ingwersen
Mr Bob Isherwood
Mr Vaidhee Iyer
Emeritus Professor John Jackson
Professor Sabu J John
Mrs Louise Joy
Dr Douglas Kagi
Ms Janet Kay
Mrs Marion Kayler-Thomson
Mr Norman Kennedy
Professor Wilfred Kernot
Dr Joyce Kirk
Miss Zoe Kleeborn
Ms Sue Lau
Mr Jean-Gerard Laverdure
Ms Janet Le Good
Dr Donvana Lee
Ms Yuk Ping Leung
Ms Rosi Lever
Lim Siew-Wai William
Mr Lawrence Lim
Mr Paul Little AO
Mrs Ila Little
Dr Peter Little
Ms Jina Lo
Mr William Xinghui Lu
Mr Carey Lyon
H Mallison
Mr Sydney Manefield
Dr Robert Marin
Dr John Marshall
Ms Michelle Matheson
Mr Saumit J Mehta
Mr Bharat Mitra
Dr Abbas Mohajerani
Ms Kathryn Moloney
Dr Gavin Moodie
Mr Malcolm Moore
Mr Dennis Moschoyiannis
Mr Peter Muir
Dr Kerry Mullan
Mr Jacques A Nasser AO
Mr Quack Siew Ng
Ms Kim Nguyen
Ms Gayle Nicholas
Mr Charles Nodrum
Mr Graeme H O’Brien
Mr Barry Oliver
The Honourable Francis T Ormond
Professor Gill Palmer
Professor Ian Palmer
Ms Gilda Paradiso-Bell
Ms Carolyn J Parker
Mr Andrew Parsons
Mr Bruce Partland
Mr Craig D Pascoe
Mr Michael K Patton
Mr John-Paul Plazzer
Dr Ranjit Prasad
Emeritus Professor David Pugh
Mr Brenton Rea
Mr Mark Reid
Mr Edward J Reilly
Dr Ralph Renard
Mr Chris Renwick
Ms Joan Ritchie
Mr John P Ruban
Dr Peter Rushforth AM
Mr Ralph Sangster
Mrs Wilma Saunders
Mr Jeffrey C Savige
Mr Clifford Savin
Mr Romeo Schiavon and Mrs May Schiavon
Moira and John Schulze
Mr Ian G Scott
Professor Murray Scott
Mr Gerard Shanahan
Professor Robert and Ms Josephine Shanks
Dr Steven Shapiro
Dr Alice Sherlock
Mrs Ann Simmons
Dr Roy Simmons
Professor Supriya Singh and family
Mr Maruli P Sitorus
Ms Melissa Smith
Mr Sam Smorgon AO
Mr Sherman Soh
Ms Sophia Spinelli
Mr Alexander Stitt
Sir John Storey
Miss Wei-Kuang Su
Ms Chew Buay Tan
Mr Seng Huat Tan
Ms Eva G Tarjan
Mr Gavin Teague
Ms Silvia Tejedor
Mr Murli Thadani
Lieutenant William Thompson
Mr John N Tidey
Mr Ernest Truby Williams
Ms Irana Turynska
Ms Evonne Tzimopoulos
Dr Walter Uhlenbruch AO
Mr Marcus J Valentini
Sir George Verdon
Mr John B Vernon
Dr Leonardo Viola
Dr Ronald Wakefield
Mr Michael Wennrich
Ms Diana White
Ms Georgina Whitehead
Mr Kevin J Whiting
Assoc Prof Quentin Willis
Mr Andrew A Wilson
Mrs Jan Woods
Dr Rodney Wulff
Mr David Yau
Mr Shun Wai Yim
Professor Xinghuo Yu
A.B. Natoli, Barristers & Solicitors
Advanced Manufacturing Australia
Akamai Technologies
Connell Wagner
Australia Post
Australian Air Pilots Mutual Benefit Fund
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian Garden History Society
Australian Institute of Conveyancers (Victorian Division) Inc
Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heating
Australian Publishers Association
Australian Radio Communications Industry Association
Australian Sales and Marketing Institute
Australian Sonographers Association
Australian Steel Institute
Australian Tax Office
Australian Teachers of Media
Baulderstone Hornibrook Pty Ltd
Bayer Schering Pharma
Bayside Group Pty Ltd
Besen Family Trust
BHP Billiton Ltd
Brimbank City Council
Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty Ltd
Bureau of Meteorology
CCRE Therapeutics
City of Melbourne
Confucius Institute
Copyright Agency Limited
CPA Australia Ltd
Cricket Australia
CSIRO
CSL Ltd
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Defence Materiel Organisation
Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development, Victoria
Department of Defence
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Health and Ageing
Dimension Data
Dyne Industries
Eastern Health
Economic Society of Australia Victorian Branch
EnerNOC
Engineers Australia
Ericsson Australia Pty Ltd
Financial Services Institute of Australasia
Formfile Records Management Group
Fuji Xerox Australia
General Television Corporation Pty Ltd
George Clinical Pty Ltd
GHD Pty Ltd
GlaxoSmithKline Australia Pty Ltd
Gordon Darling Foundation
Government Aircraft Factories
Graduate Management Association of Australia
GS1 Australia
Hall & Wilcox
Hamburg Sud Australia Pty Ltd
Harold Mitchell Foundation
Haystac
Helen Macpherson Smith Trust
Hospira Pty Ltd
House Consulting
IBM Australia Ltd
Impact Digital
Irwin & McLaren Bookbinders Pty Ltd
iTC Global
Jemena
Joe Kovacs Architect
Kanopy
Lantheus Medical Imaging
Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd
Lee Foundation
Ma Kam Ming Foundation
Maxus Australia
Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
Microchip Technology Australia
Millipore Australia Pty Ltd
Mitchell & Partners
Monahan + Rowell Lawyers
National Australia Bank Ltd
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Network Ten Pty Ltd
Northcote Trust
Nucleus Network
Olympus Imaging Australia Pty Ltd
Orcadia Foundation
Perpetual Trustee Company Limited
Pitcher Partners
Pottinger Co Pty Ltd
Professional Public Relations
RACV Pty Ltd
Radio 3AW Melbourne Pty Ltd
Radio Frequency Systems Pty Ltd
Richard Koh and Iris Tan Foundation
Rockford International Pty Ltd
Sandhurst Trustees Limited
SAP Australian User Group
SAS Institute Australia
Scouts Australia VIC
SEW-Eurodrive Pty Ltd
Shoemark & King
Siemens
SMEC Australia
Spotlight Pty Ltd
State Trustees Limited
Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia
Target Australia Pty Ltd
Taxpayers Australia
Telstra Corporation
The Agenda Group
The Atlantic Philanthropies (Australia) Pty Ltd
The Australian Power Institute
The Boeing Company
The CASS Foundation
The Ian Potter Foundation
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
The Institute of Legal Executives (Victoria)
The LiTMUS Group
The Furnace
The Rockerfeller Foundation
The SIDA Foundation
Toll Holdings Ltd
The Trust Company
Tolarno Hotel
UBImet
UHY Haines Norton
VicRoads
Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
Victorian Teachers Credit Union
Watpac Limited
Western District Health Service
Westpac
Wilson Transformer Company Pty Ltd
World Expeditions
RMIT University values each and every one of our donors who support the University. We thank everyone who supported the University in 2011, and to those who have committed ongoing support through endowments and bequests.
Please note some donors choose to remain anonymous and are not included on this list. Every effort has been made to ensure this list includes all other donors to RMIT University for 2011. If you notice an error or omission in the list, please contact us on +61 3 9925 5220 or email [email protected]
with thanksto RMIT in 2011donations
Building our future YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT 29
Every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this publication is accurate and current at the date of printing. Prepared January 2012. CRICOS provider number 00122A.12177 0112
For further information or any enquiries, please contact:
Development RMIT University Tel. +61 3 9925 5220 Email: [email protected]
www.rmit.edu.au
Postal address: RMIT University GPO Box 2476 Melbourne VIC 3001